In my studies this semester at St. John’s School of Theology, I am taking a class on the prophets. In one of our first assignments we had to think prophets in today’s world. What qualities would you look for in a prophet today? What would you expect a prophet in the twenty-first century to be doing? What would they be saying?
I think that a prophet today or during any time in history would need courage, courage and more courage. They would need great trust in the Lord God and have a willingness to sacrifice. As in anything humility would come in handy.
I am not sure if a prophet today would be at the pulpit or on the street corner….would they be writing on blog on the Internet or on reality TV…would they be in a city or in the country…in the first world or third…would they be a man or woman or a child? I guess I think a prophet could be any of these.
I think a prophet today would be speaking about world events (big and small), calling people back to God. A prophet would be lamenting the plight of the poor and forgotten. A prophet would be drawing attention to the many ways we have failed in our love relationship – our covenant – with God.
And yet, with all of that a prophet would have words of hope and blessing. A prophet would point out God’s faithfulness and how in times past God has brought his people through. A prophet would remind us of God’s power and might. Most definitely a prophet would tell of God’s faithfulness and love.
There you have it. Those are my ideas about prophets today. Now I wonder…who are today’s prophets?
Sister Lisa Maurer
Sister Lisa Maurer was born and raised in Sleep Eye, Minnesota. Before entering the Monastery in 2007, she taught and coached in Catholic schools within the New Ulm Diocese. Sister Lisa made her Perpetual Monastic Profession in July 11, 2012. Her first ministry as a Benedictine Sister was working at the parishes of St. Lawrence and St. Joseph in Duluth. Currently she is Director of Mission Integration for the Benedictine Health System.